Members of the Trefoil Guild in Dundee have planted trees in memory of much-loved former Girlguiding leaders.
Ramanee Bengough and Alison French planted the trees at the Girlguiding Dundee Outdoor Centre, near Coupar Angus, in honour of fellow-members who died before their time.
Ramanee, a volunteer with the Guides, said: “We have a big piece of land and there are various trees and things planted up there.
“We planted them there because in the past, trees had been planted there in memory of previous Guide leaders.
She was such a fun and kind spirit and losing her really hit us hard.
Rebecca Shearer
“Sadly, over the years, sometimes we’ve lost leaders who are younger – in their 40s and 50s.
“There had been a tree planted in the past to a leader who died in her 50s. Her daughter has since died quite young, also in her 50s.
“So we thought it would be quite nice to plant them, in memory of them.
“Unfortunately while planning, we lost another leader, Jenny, so we thought this would be perfect timing.”
Growing
The two woman grew the trees themselves, making the occasion even more special.
Ramanee said: “We’d had an outdoor day for adults to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Trefoil Guild.
“We’d all been given an acorn and a pot to decorate. So dutifully did this, all took them home, but most people’s didn’t grow, as these things often don’t.
“But our two did, so we’d been watching them for a couple of years now, comparing photographs. About a year ago, we thought we knew where to plant them.
“Of course, due to the pandemic, we’ve been stuck in the city, pretty much ever since. We thought planting them in the Autumn would be a good time to plant them, but we couldn’t leave the boundary of the city.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of @TrefoilGuild in 2018, the Dundee Trefoil guilds planted acorns. Two of these grew into small oak trees. Ramanee Bengough & Alison French planted these at Newbigging, our county campsite, as memorial trees to some of Dundee’s formers leaders. pic.twitter.com/r9YYBqnHWH
— Girlguiding Dundee (@GirlGuidingDund) May 31, 2021
“So we’ve hung on to them over winter and thought we’d take them up there and plant them before they get much bigger.”
Rebecca Shearer, who took over Jenny’s local unit after she died, paid tribute to the leader, saying: “She was such a fun and kind spirit and losing her really hit us hard, not just in the unit but in the wider Guiding family.
“I had no idea that the Trefoil Guild was going to be planting something in memory of Jenny but I’m so glad that they did and that her memory can live on in this way.”